Burton Internet sweepstakes cafe shuts down following court ruling

Shamrocks Sweepstakes on Fenton Road in Burton has closed its location following an Ingham County Circuit Court ruling calling on the business to end alleged illegal internet sweepstakes gambling.Lauren Justice | MLive.com

BURTON, MI – An Internet sweepstakes cafe in Burton has shut down following a court ruling in favor of the state's Attorney General to end alleged illegal gaming operations at the facility.

The business closed after Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina reversed a temporary restraining order Nov. 20 and called for the business at the corner of Fenton Road and Maple Avenue to comply with a cease and desist letter it received Oct. 18 from the Attorney General's Alcohol & Gambling Enforcement Division.

"The letter asks the business to stop conducting internet sweepstakes gambling that violates state law (within 14 days)," said Joy Yearout, Attorney general spokeswoman in an email. "They can remain open and offer other goods and services, as long as those goods and services do not violate state law, like the illegal internet sweepstakes gambling."

Several cease and desist letters went out to internet sweepstakes cafes from the state Attorney General’s Office earlier this year, Yearout said, following an investigation by the Michigan State Police and Michigan Gaming Control Board.

“The Attorney General is free to take whatever action necessary to end illegal gambling operations in the state of Michigan,” Yearout said.

A sign on the front door of Shamrocks Sweepstakes on Fenton Road in Burton includes a phone number for people to contact regarding the closing and how to get money still owed.Lauren Justice | MLive.com

Patrons still owed money by Shamrocks were directed in a message left taped to the door Sunday -- which states the facility was closing Nov. 15 and reopening Nov. 21 -- to call the business number, and someone would contact them on how to collect the remainder of the balance owed to them and offer an update on the situation.

Multiple calls by The Flint Journal to the business number for comment on the closure and possible further legal action were not immediately returned.

Shamrocks was opened in June 2012 by John Cofhlin III, who began arcades and internet sweepstakes cafes in 2002 around the country, following 18 years in the gaming business.

Patrons at the new café purchased phone cards, with sweepstakes points coming with the purchase of the cards -- much like businesses such as McDonald's offering game pieces during a promotional period, Cofhlin previously said.

Cards could then be swiped at a front counter to see if they were a predetermined winner or check by swiping their card on an available computer terminal where they can play games, strictly for entertainment purposes, or search the web.